Medieval villages, isolated pastures, romantically wild landscapes!

Overnight stay at hotel on the beach

After a long rest at the beach and an opportunity to swim we will head for Fermo by bus in the early afternoon. We will explore the historic centre of this beautiful village overlooking the seashore and get a good view of the soft hills in the interior from the city walls of Fermo. Our first bike ride takes us to Amandola, a medieval town at the foot of the Sibillini massif.

After a good night’s rest we dip into the landscape of the Monti Sibilllini, passing old villages on the way. We follow a long-distance hiking trail uphill for several hours, always along mountains. The hills are soon replaced by the Piano Grande, a flat green plateau stretching out to Monte Vettore (2,476 m). Millions of years ago, there was a lake here, surrounded by green mountains. We cycle across the “bottom” of this former lake (ca. 7 km) to what might be considered the opposite shores. Castelluccio, a scenic village built on a former island, is the ideal spot for a stop to have a capuccino in this otherwise deserted area.

After our stay at a comfortable lodge we approach the Monte Utero plateau, passing lush pastures. From here we get a chance to not only watch numerous wild horses, but also make out the foot of the Gran Sasso in the south. Long descents and a short uphill stretch lead us to Amatrice, where we are going to stop for lunch and try Spaghetti al Amatriciana, a dish invented here, as the name suggests. We then continue across a saddle toward the Campotosto reservoir, where our luggage is already waiting for us.

We ride half way around Lago di Campotosto in the morning, then take a steep descent to Vomano valley. From here, we climb steadily toward the foothills of the Gran Sasso, which we cross on partly rather steep paths to reach the lush green pastures west of the mountain range. We are now on „wolf land“, and with a bit of luck will be able to spot one of the packs living in these hills. A long gravel descent takes us across meadows until we reach L’Aquila. We take a quick look at the historic centre before retreating to our accommodation, which can be reached via a steep way of the cross.

The day begins with a look across the town at our feet and the peaks of the Gran Sasso towering behind it. Crossing the pass near Castiglione, we get to Lago della Salto, set in the depths of a gorge. We cross the lake at a narrow spot. From the bridge, the road takes us uphill (mostly on moderately steep asphalt streets) to Collalto, a deserted village with a completely preserved castle complex.

A veritable roller coaster of gravel paths and narrow tarred roads leads us across the craggy landscape surrounding the Monte Pellecchia (1,368 m). The rest of our way cuts across forests almost up until Palombara, today’s destination.

Right from the start we can make out the silhouette of Rome, the quintessential cosmopolitan city. We soon approach the suburbs, cycling further and further into the centre along flat, ancient Roman roads until we finally reach St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican. After a retreat to our pension we now have the rest of today and the following day to ourselves – a good opportunity to explore the city, either individually or joining a sightseeing tour.

A bath excursion to the sea or Sigthseeing in Rome invite!

Transfer to the airport and return flight to Germany!

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